


What Difference Does It Make To The Hunt?

by Hollow_Vessel



Series: Fl4k/Zer0 fluff! [3]
Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Study, Fl4k and their pack, Fl4k centric, Other, They know only two things: the hunt and their pack, Yes I am going to make up a Fl4k backstory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-01-22 20:16:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21307982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hollow_Vessel/pseuds/Hollow_Vessel
Summary: Fl4k likes to disappear for weeks at a time for what they call their “great hunt”. Their crewmates and fellow vault hunters, however, are starting to get annoyed.But someone points out an amusing little similarity between their resident beastmaster and their just-as-reclusive assassin, Zer0.///I am going to make up a backstory for Fl4k. But also it’ll be a Zer0/Fl4k thing. Eventually.
Relationships: Fl4k/Zer0
Series: Fl4k/Zer0 fluff! [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1411888
Comments: 8
Kudos: 61





	1. Returning.

“It is the end of your hunt, but mine continues!” Fl4k bellowed as they pointed their skag companion towards victory, total dominance, the horns of the beast piercing through bandit after bandit as it thrashed through the battlefield, Mr. Chew having no regard for the bullets that were fired its way. The thick hide of the skag deflecting much of the damage. Anything else that grazed the large creature was healing at an exponential rate. It was a bit off putting to watch the beastmaster and their pack work, to see how they quickly decommissioned an entire bandit camp in a matter of minutes. The constant bombardment of bullets ceased. The final tossed grenades and shot rockets went through their course and exploded in contact with the ground. The last splatters of blood hit the ground, the last shell had fallen.

Fl4k stood in the center of the eviscerated and maimed bandits, holding their axe at their side. It appeared as if it were raining blood, the sheer amount of it speckling the ground. There were massive craters where grenades had been lobbed, even puddles of acid where barrels had been haphazardly detonated.  
Without even being there, it was clear that pure chaos had occurred only minutes before. This fact was solidified by the dozens of bodies strewn about the dirt. Sick with their oozing blood, lost limbs, bullet hole soaked bodies. Smoke still rose from some. Their faces, though unseen due to their psycho masks, must have held some semblance of fear. Fear of the creature that had been so mercilessly sent barreling through their ranks, crashing with blood curdling efficiency. 

But the vault hunter and beast were not fazed by this. This was a normal occurrence to them, in fact, it was almost daily. In the wake of the slaughtering, Fl4k was motionless. Mr. Chew was doing just as his name foretold, chewing on the arm of a corpse, still warm from its evaporated life. 

“May your after-hunt yield great rewards.” Fl4k uttered sorrowfully to the now empty and forgotten camp, before sheathing away their axe and stowing away their weapons within their many flaps of clothing. Fl4k mentally recounted their ammo, planning out exactly how much money it would cost them to restock. Quite an amount. Though they had an abundance of currency from their career of hunting vaults and taking on ‘side-hunts’, the thought of spending it seemed to ache slightly. It was an odd feeling. Inexplicable. 

Fl4k shook away these thoughts before beckoning their companion over. The great horned skag dropped the chunk of dripping flesh from his jaws and galloped over lightly. It barked a soft sound to Fl4k as it resigned itself to his beastmaster’s soft pets and coos of praise. 

Mr. Chew was in for a big treat upon their return. On top of skag chow, Fl4k had treats for just such an occasion. Rakk steaks. Fl4k had them prepared just for Mr. Chew. 

With one last look around the now silent camp, they turned and trotted for their outrunner. The day cycle of this planet had long ended, and their hunt had lasted for days. The Crimson Raiders were surely feeling their absence.

Fl4k gave no emotion as they walked along. Though the beastmaster WAS thinking. Perhaps it would have been wiser to inform their crew of their venture before departing. After all, they had grown quite close. They were additions to their pack, after all.

But, sometimes Fl4k just wanted to hunt by Mr. Chew’s side. Like how it used to be. Before all of this chaos and vault nonsense got involved in their life. If they needed them, they always had Fl4k’s echo communication line available to them. 

They unceremoniously got into the driver’s seat and revved the engine loudly. This signaled for Mr. Chew to make an arching leap towards the vehicle. Shaking the light vehicle for a moment, they settled into the gunner’s seat. Fl4k looked up at him with an extended blink of affection. After ensuring that their companion was ready, they departed quickly. The outrunner dashed swiftly through the swamplands, kicking up water in their wake.

Fl4k gave the map projection from their echo a look before focusing on driving. Mostly. 

Fl4k glanced up at the stars. Of all the blinking lights, Sanctuary was probably among them... As with mindless observation, a thought struck the beastmaster. They would probably receive a chewing out for this stunt, even if they were only gone for a week, and had not been called in the duration of their travels. This wasn’t the first time the beastmaster had done something of the sort. It was one of many. The hunt, the hunt called to them. Who was Fl4k but to obey it? They were Death’s blade, the one to free all of these humans of their mortal chains and show them their TRUE hunt, the one that everyone was destined for. 

Or so they phrased it to themself. It was how they were taught. What HE had shown them. The true way of the world. Of life, death, and work. Fl4k blinked and took a turn, sending their outrunner climbing up an almost steep incline, tires shredding the plants and small creatures they ran over. Mindless, this drive. Fl4k almost knew these swamplands by heart. It was peaceful at night, here. Most of the loud creatures, Fl4k had killed. It was nice, simply to drive and feel the wind on their face.

But again, stillness, or in this case, tranquility brought around unwanted thoughts. Important ones, but unwanted nonetheless. 

Even if they were well justified in their mind, with their hunt, they were not sure that Lilith and the others would see it like this. To them, it would appear as if Fl4k had ditched them with their pet and was only going to return... God knows when. In fact, that’s exactly what it was. But Fl4k WOULD return. The beastmaster didn’t know if they knew that. And while Fl4k understood their sentiment, it still gave them a feeling of unease. A cramped feeling of being trapped, tied down to one thing.  
It was something that they were not used to. They were used to going only where the hunt directed them. The hunt led them on many adventures, stowaways, deserted caves as shelter from the weather, not to a comfortable cabin that was free of danger. It was unnatural.

Once to their destination, the beastmaster climbed out of their seat and hopped off the side, landing with a heavy thud, and the clinking of metal in their coat. The sound was soothing. Fl4k ruffled their coat as they awaited- Mr. Chew landed at their side on cue. They gave a small laugh before walking up to the lit up device.

Fl4k stood before the fast travel station and entered in the numbers for Sanctuary. 

Though unnecessary because of Mr. Chew standing on the platform beside them, they had a hand resting atop one of his spikes. They had only learned of these devices when he came to Pandora in search of Vault guardians, and did not fully trust them with the safety of their pack. 

Once the machine had done its work, and Fl4k was no longer seeing blue, they were met with an expected sight. An empty room. The ship’s lights had been dimmed. The brightest thing in the room was now Fl4k’s optic, and the quick change station. 

“Mr. Chew.” Fl4k said in a low, gravelly voice. The modified skag looked up at them.  
“Go to your bed I will be there in just a moment.” Fl4k gave the command soothingly. And without any hesitation, the beast slowly padded off towards Fl4k’s quarters.

The beastmaster would join them, but they had things to sell to Marcus, and ammo to restock up on. 

As they left the deck and started down the hallway, their footsteps seemed to be booming. It was only rivaled with the sound that radiated from across the hallway, the soft chatter of Moxxxi’s bar. Fl4k ignored it as they made the turn to the weapons shop. 

As expected, the storekeeper wasn’t there. His window was covered by the steel that came down when it was closed.  
But the two vending machines were still there.

Fl4k stared before sighing and beginning to empty their pockets of scavengers guns, shield mods, and grenade mods, right onto the available counter space that was not blocked off by the window. The beastmaster sifted through their sellable things with a practiced swiftness. They had done this many times. Sell green and white rarity things, sell all grenades and shields of lower quality than theirs, equip anything better, sell it. They would keep blue rarity and up guns for their rather expansive collection. 

Seeing their effort having a real reward, something that they could touch that wasn’t cash, always validated this for them. Not as much as fulfilling their own beliefs, but it was a close third. Their companions, of course, took priority. 

Fl4k picked up the first white rarity gun to sell to the machine. They brought it to the machine and selected “sell”.

“You know, you remind me of one of my old customers.” A booming voice said from the left of them. Fl4k stopped mid movement and looked over to meet the shorter man’s gaze. Marcus.


	2. Chapter 2

Fl4k stalked through the hallways, listening to the idle sounds of the space vessel. The humming and clicking of the pipes above, the ones that ran through the walls, keeping the ship functioning even if most of the living beings on the ship had resigned themselves to sleep. Fl4k reached out and trailed a hand against the wall as they staggered by, ducking to avoid hitting their head against a jetting pole, which read “WATCH YOUR HEAD” on it. It was a funny little note that had been written in regards to certain Crimson Raiders’ tall statures, Fl4k being included prominently in that group.

The mechanical beastmaster was lost in thought for the second time that day. Marcus had told them about how they shared many similarities to someone else on board. The assassin.  
Tall, quiet, odd, ruthless. Those were among the words that the merchant had used. Fl4k pondered these as they wandered, wandered as they once did, without direction despite the lack of places to BE in the cramped vessel.

Were they really that similar to the assassin? Fl4k had never given it thought. They had never had reason to. They were both always lost in their own worlds of blood, slaughter, and cold hard cash. Perhaps that was the most striking similarity. Other than that...

Fl4k stopped by their cabin door and shoved their hands into their front coat pockets. Their fingers collided with spare bullets. The robot quizzically pulled them out. Three AR rounds. After rolling them around in their hand for a few seconds, hearing their satisfying clicks, Fl4k shoved them back into their pockets and pushed open the metal door to their living space. 

Within, they found Mr. Chew, curled up with their jaws wrapped around a plush Jabber. Fast asleep. Fl4k witnessed the adorableness and gave a mechanical sigh, closing their door behind themself and going to settle their multiple layers of coats in a corner. 

—-

Systems powering on...  
...  
...  
...

Fl4k got up from their flat bed, stretching their arms out in front of them. The beastmaster lie without their heavy jacket. They tilted their head slightly at this, before their gaze fell to their pet skag, who was munching noisily on skag chow.  
They were on time, then. On time for what exactly..?

Ah.

“Fl4k, I know you’re a vault hunter. I know vault hunters can do whatever the hell they want. But disappearing for weeks at a time? Damnit. What if something happened to Sanctuary?!”

“You have access to-.”

“That doesn’t matter, Killer. You don’t even leave a note. You just leave half your “pack” for the crew to deal with.” Lilith complained to the vault hunter, leaning over their meeting table and heaving a heavy sigh. She maintained eye contact with the vault hunter, gaze not faltering. She was the commander of the Crimson Raiders, after all. Some tall hunk of hunting metal could not make her avert her eyes.

She was the leader of this... makeshift pack, that Fl4k was included in as their obligation to their own vault hunting companions, Moze, Amara, and Zane.

Fl4k appeared lost in thought. Lilith thud her hand on the table to catch their attention once more.  
Fl4k blinked their optic and gave a mechanical grunt.

Lilith gave another sigh. This vault hunter, unlike the others of their generation, was very spaced out. The hunter got lost in thought more often than not. She didn’t understand them very well. They were a stone cold badass, when they wanted to be. Otherwise, a total space cadet. 

Which she could get behind. But she didn’t know if she preferred the silence of Fl4k, or heaven forbid, the kooky haikus of a... Probably alien hitman.

“...At least Zer0 leaves notes before they leave.” Lilith said off-handedly, as Fl4k was not heeding her words again and was instead fidgeting with that big coat of theirs.

What the Siren wasn’t expecting, was a follow up question to that statement.

“Should I leave cryptic haikus before I depart for my hunt as well then?” Their optic was squinted in a way that portrayed amusement. 

“Huh- Well, oh bloodful beastmaster, it would be helpful to have slightly more notice than Zer0.” She grinned in amusement.  
“You know, they’re not exactly the standard you should shoot for. Zer0 isn’t much better with their... Hunting. Huh.” She glanced at Fl4k for a moment.

“That’s sort of funny. Now that I’m thinking about it, you both go on your own side missions like this.” She shrugged.  
“Well. Try not to drop off the face of Pandora without at least leaving a note. You’re free to go do vault hunter things. Keep your comms on. We have agents gathering intel on a new vault. Who knows. It might be another big score for your squad.”

Fl4k was already exiting their chair and ruffling their coat, not liking how the rest had made the weight in their coat rest against them. Once it was properly adjusted, they waved a hand to Lilith before departing from the meeting room

The beastmaster wandered. Thinking. They found themselves thinking about things a lot now. Fl4k walked into that pole for the third time in their stay here, causing them to stagger back and give the coolant pole a glare.

...But that wasn’t their focus, not a dumb out of place pole with words written in it to tease them.  
...That was the second person on the ship to compare them to... Zer0. The haiku hitman, or so they knew them by. It was pretty much the extent of available information on them, besides killings suspected to have been caused by them.  
Zer0 has very few details to the outside world. No one knew if their identity, if Zer0 was truly their name, or even if they were human, robot, or some sort of beast. 

Now that they were thinking about it, Fl4k couldn’t help but find the topic quite intriguing. Perhaps while they hung around Sanctuary in their buffer time, they could ask around about everyone’s favorite assassin.

—-

“Oh, last I seen ‘em they were crawlin’ into that there vent.” Ellie told the beastmaster, pointing at a vent on the wall, against the ceiling.

“Why am I not surprised?” Fl4k asked externally, but it was more of a comment to themself.


	3. Chapter 3

“So what information DO you have on this elusive Zer0?” Fl4k queried, staring at Lilith over the table, in the middle of an empty meeting room.  
They couldn’t help it. When there was information that they somehow did not have, especially in such a topic as vault hunting, Fl4k needed to get their hands on it.

Lilith looked at them and shrugged.  
“Look, I wasn’t that close to them. Yes, we worked together, but I wasn’t a part of their squad.”

“Squad?”

“Like how you have Moze, Zane, and Amara?” 

Fl4k nodded in response. They supposed that that made sense. What was a vault hunter without their companions? Their partners in crime, plundering, and occasional galaxy saving? Dead.

“Who were-“

“You really should be asking them yourself.” Lilith cut them off with a lighthearted sigh and a shake of her head.  
She got up from her chair, pushing it beneath the table with a grating sound.

“Knowing what I know about Zer0, they’re probably listening in on us right now.” Lilith said, giving the vent a glance before waving dismissively and walking off to tend to the crew.

Fl4k gave a low laugh and looked towards the vent in question.  
Did the renowned assassin really live in the vents as it was starting to seem?

Only one way to find out. 

...  
Causally look everywhere else to rule them out. 

Meandering around the ship was a cathartic experience. Everyone was caught up in their own flow of time, of tasks to be completed and conversations to be had. Fl4k felt, much like they did on the battlefield, like a ghost passing through undetected. They had their sensors piqued for any oddities. Perhaps an odd thump of a vent or something of the sort.  
Nothing, nothing.  
As they traversed to the bowels of the vessel, the surrounding bustle seemed to die down. Not many game this far down, really it was a space meant solely for maintenance. Fl4k themself didn’t even venture this far, the mechanical sounds of it all warded off their beasts, and they had no reason to come down here. Fl4k walked along, hearing only their own steps, and the steady whirl of machinery keeping the ship... afloat? Or, intact perhaps.

Combing through the place yielded no reward, and they were no closer to the answers of their burning questions.  
Fl4k was organizing a list in their mind, that they would ask. To them, Zer0 was a puzzle to be solved. None of the other “staff” seemed to be quite as intriguing, or purposefully mysterious. It rubbed Fl4k in an odd way.

An itch that must be sated!

But staring at the engine of the ship was not going to provide them with anything that they sought, other than their internal mechanisms warning them of high temperatures. 

Fl4k grunted and shook out their coats, before turning and departing in their usual gait, clawed foot grating against the metallic flooring. 

Their optic would wander as they observed the bursts of steam busting out from the walls, from various vents and pipes which were all surely interconnected. No place for any living creature to hide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s short but I just needed to write this out to move to the next scene. Apologies for the wait. I’d say it won’t happen again, but I’m not a liar.


End file.
